IPOH: Local councils in Perak received 2,726 complaints about stray dogs this year, says exco member Sandrea Ng.
The state local government committee chairman said the number was significant and cause for concern among the public.
"The councils have conducted a total of 1,190 operations to tackle the complaints, catching 4,856 dogs.
"In the last few years, the matter of stray dogs in the state has become an issue in the community owing to the animals' growing population," she told a press conference to announce the Perak Pawsitive Initiative at the state secretariat building here on Friday (Sept 6).
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"The dogs would forage in rubbish bins for food, creating a health concern.
"There are also aggressive dogs that have bitten some people, which is a safety concern.
"Some NGOs carry out trap, neuter, release (TNR) programmes but these are not seen by the public to be effective," she added.
Ng said the state has held meetings and engagement sessions with other states to identify the root cause of the stray issue.
"We want to put an end to this vicious cycle.
"We believe the main cause is pets that are not neutered, and the puppies being dumped," she said.
"General awareness of animal welfare and proper handling of the issue can be improved.
"We also encourage people to adopt instead of buying from pet shops," she said, adding that Perak Pawsitive could hopefully bring about some positive change.
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Kampar district council president Ahmad Suqairi Alias said the initiative would be held at Dewan Bandaran Gopeng from 9am to 5pm, Sept 27 to 29.
He said during the event, dog owners will be entitled to a RM90 subsidy to neuter their pets.
"Those interested would need to register with us first," he said, adding that there were slots for 100 animals.
"Apart from the neutering exercise, there will be photography and drawing contests, free checks for animals, exhibitions, an adoption drive and a pet licence renewal or application counter," he said.
